Who are you?
by Maneishy
Summary: Pre-series. The Winchesters hunt a creature down in Arkansas. In the hunt, Sam gets hurt, making him act weird as weeks go by. John and Dean think nothing of Sam's changed behavior until he asks Dean one crucial question. Hurt!Sick!Sam, Caring!Protective!Dean, Teenchesters, Wee!chesters.
1. Chapter 1

Who Are You?

Sam hurried behind his older brother, attempting to keep up with the hurried pace and the exceedingly long legs. He was sore from being up late at night, running after the creature that had been hurting all those families, all those children.

"Hurry up Sammy!" Dean called towards the young boy, bringing Sam out of his thoughts. The boy picked up the pace, attempting to elongate his strides with his still-short thin legs.

They were hunting a Gowrow, a nasty reptile-like monster originally from the plains of Arkansas. Known for its disgusting yellowy and slimy tusks and creepy noises, the Gowrow was a dragon subspecies, and while it normally was merely contended with just eating cattle out in the plains, one particularly nasty son of a bitch had gotten too close to a residential area, eating, as a result, the next available food: humans.

The Winchester men had come to town after several reports of humans, especially children, disappearing, only for several traces of blood and clothes to be later found by the scared towns-folk. As soon as John, Dean, and Sam had arrived to the scene of the crime, and seen what was left of the poor victims, they had thrown themselves into research, having a difficult time finding out what it was exactly they were dealing with.

It was Sam, it was always Sam, who first found the connection between the witnesses' account, the location, and the identity of the sickening creature. As soon as he had found the answer to their problem, and informed his dad and brother about it, John took his hunting knife and favorite gun without as much as acknowledging his youngest' accomplishment. Instead, John merely shouted out orders for the hunt, leaving the dingy motel they were staying at with a quick step, expecting his sons to follow through.

As always, it was Dean that recognized his brother's downcast eyes and the hurt expression he carried at his father's manners. And it was Dean, as always, who mended that sad face by patting his brother's back with a huge, sparkling smile that was only ever reserved for Sam to see.

"You did great kid, God, who knew that being such a nerd could turn out to be good? I don't know how that big brain of yours fits inside that tiny head." Dean laughed, affection seeping from his voice, as he ruffled his brother's messy hair. As soon as Dean had spoken those words, Sam had instantly looked up, eyes know shinning with self-accomplishment.

"I'm not a nerd, you jerk, and I do not have a small head!" Sam replied, attempting to sound upset, but failing as he couldn't help the appearance of a wide, dimpled grin on his young face. Dean saw his brother's smile and smiled even bigger. Seeing the kid happy is what he lived for after all.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, bitch" Still with a smile on his face, Dean grabbed Sam and his duffle bags and put an arm over his little brother's shoulders, while leading him out of the room towards the Impala and their waiting father.

That's how Sam and Dean had ended up hunting the Gowrow with their father, except that, their father and the damn mutated dragon were nowhere to be seen.

"Shit!" Dean whispered to himself, placing a strong arm on Sam's chest to stop him from running ahead as he suddenly stopped to listen to their surroundings.

"Dean?" Sam asked, concerned at how the events were unfolding themselves. He was still inexperienced with hunting, and this was the first time that Dean and him had been separated from their father during a hunt, so, less to say, Sam was growing more fearful as each moment passed.

"Shut up for a second Sam" Dean ordered, obviously trying to listen to something. As Sam complied with the order, an action which he would normally have had more trouble with following, he began hearing a small, wet rattle, as if someone or something was being choked with some heavy liquid.

"Oh crap, crap, crap" Sam muttered as he stepped forward, a few small steps ahead of Dean, looking at the direction of the sound with wide eyes.

"Someone is chocking there Dean!" Sam exclaimed as he began running towards the unsettling sound.

"Sam! Wait!" Dean began running after his brother, catching up to him in just a few seconds. As they approached the area, Dean held a gasp of terror as he saw the reptile thing wrapping around his father's throat in an attempt to prevent all air passage for the older man.

Surprisingly, though, it was not Dean who first reacted to the unfolding scene in front of him, but as soon as the shocked Winchester had reacquired some of his senses back to jump into action, Sam had already lifted his small handgun and, with an expert hand, had shot the disgusting creature wrapped around his father's throat two times until it let go with an agonizing screech, the older man's throat.

In an instant, Dean had joined his brother in the carnage as he too shot several rounds of bullets at the creature, and with each step that the reptile took in an attempt to retreat, Dean took one step forward, closer to his gasping father.

"You okay dad?" Dean asked as he kept his aim at the now immobile thing, making sure that the silver bullets had worked their magic and the yellow husk serpent was no more.

"T-two" John managed to choke out, as he coughed and struggled with the sore muscles of his throat.

"What?"

"Two of 'em" The older man managed to speak louder this time, and as Dean understood the message, and his eyes widened at the information, he heard a low whimper coming from behind him.

 _Oh Shit_

The older boy slowly turned his head and was greeted with the image of a forgotten Sam and a second, slightly larger, Gowrow wrapped around his brother's small, lithe figure. The sight of Sam's scared, wet eyes made Dean see red in rage. _How dare this slimy creature wrap his slimy self around his Sammy?_

Even though his instincts told him to jump to his brother's rescue, Dean remained motionless as he realized that the creature was looking at him, waiting to see the next course of his actions. He had to really think about what he was going to do next or his little brother could end up getting the grunt of it.

He didn't take into account that Sam might struggle as the reptile's grip got tighter, or that the kid's legs would give out, making him drop his hunting knife into the palm of his hand. Dean didn't really think that Sam would stab the thing, well, more like barely grazing it, but enough for the monster to react and stab its sharp teeth in between the space of Sam's throat and shoulder, making the kid scream in pain and attempt to stab the scaly, yellow-gray skin once more, resulting in Sam being thrown directly into a big looking tree, landing with his head and causing a loud, sickening cracking noise to come from the impact.

Nope, Dean Winchester hadn't taken any of those factors into account, but he never the less raised his gun and shot at the creature that had dared to touch and hurt his precious little brother, emptying the round of bullets of the thing's head and body. He then rushed towards Sam's unmoving body, the creature's and his father's condition forgotten in favor of Sam's.

"Sam? Are you okay there? Sammy?" Dean called out urgently, softly checking his brother's injuries as the kid's eyes began to flutter open.

"Dean?" A low raspy whisper responded, making Dean sigh in relief.

"Hey there kiddo"

"Is the Gowrow gone?"

"Yeah, he's gone. How do you feel? Do you think you can move?" Dean asked worriedly, remembering the crunching sound his brother's head made when it made contact with the tree.

"I'm fine" Sam proclaimed as he attempted to stand up. As soon as he moved from his position, a wave of nausea hit him and if it hadn't been for Dean catching him, he would have hit his head with the ground for the second time in one evening.

"Hey, hey. Take it easy there. I got you Sammy." Dean said as he softly placed Sam in his arms and stood up with the intent to carry his brother all the way back to the Impala.

"Put me down Dean" Sam complaint didn't carry much heat in it, as the fourteen year old immediately cuddled into his older brother's warm chest with the clear intent of staying there.

"No way" Dean retorted, looking down at Sam's small body with a small smile. Suddenly, now that Dean had his brother with him and out of harm's way, Dean finally turned towards his father, having forgotten his presence due to last few series of events. He saw the older Winchester kneeling down next to the bodies of the Gowrows, their dropped items already in his hands.

"Dad? You ready to go?"

"Yeah son" His father responded, standing up, apparently satisfied with the fact that the creatures were truly dead and would not be causing any further trouble, "Let's get out of this place."

A week had passed since the hunt with the Gowrow, the Winchesters had already left Arkansas and were now on the road, heading to a town where John would drop his two sons off on a motel while he himself headed a few towns over to investigate a few deaths.

Sam had been quiet since the Gowrow. Dean, growing worried at his brother's silence, had spoken to John a few days after the hunt, but John had brushed his son's new quiet attitude as merely teenager hormones. God knew that Sam was probably mad at something and was just giving them a small silent treatment. Dean wasn't so sure that was the case, but as always, he remained quiet, never questioning his father.

After John had left the boys alone on an actually half decent motel room, and headed out to begin his hunt, Sam had instantly walked towards the bed farthest from the door, dropped his duffle on the floor and carefully climbed under the cover, still wearing his day clothes.

Dean watched Sam's strange behavior, wondering if his dad was truly right this time.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I hoped you like the first part of this story. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the first part of a two-shot fic. So, as always, y'all know the drill, leave comments, constructive criticisms, reviews, etc.**

 **Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part II**

As time went by, Sam only seemed to get worse. He became more reserved and distant from his family, no longer putting up a fight when the time came to move to a new place or when John snapped at his youngest for making some sort of clumsy mistake. He was just there, tagging along for the ride without paying too much attention to it.

Dean saw this change in his younger brother. Saw how, slowly, he began eating less, reading less, caring less. Everything that made Sam his Sammy seemed to be disappearing. Sam was becoming disconnected from the world, the world Dean was a part of, leaving his older brother behind. And that, scared Dean like no monster ever would.

One Saturday morning in particular made Dean almost break his father's command and scream at the older man for the lack of attention and care he seemed to have for his youngest.

Dean had just woken up from a dreamless sleep, still feeling tired and groggy from all the worried thoughts he's had running through his mind lately. As he opened his eyes slowly, trying to get used to the bright morning light coming in from the motel window, Dean's first reaction was to check the room for Sam. It surprised the oldest Winchester when he didn't find Sam in the bed next to his, making him whip his head around trying to get a view of the small room as he attempted to locate his brother.

"Sammy?!" Dean called out after not finding Sam on the couch or in the empty bathroom, worry clear in his tone.

"Dean?" A small voice answered in the direction of the small kitchenette that came with the room. Even as Dean stood up from the bed, he still could not see Sam, but nevertheless, he rushed to the kitchenette, anxious at how tiny his brother's voice had sounded.

That's where Dean found Sam, sitting on the tile imitation floor, with, what used to be a cup, shattered all around the shaggy haired boy. As soon as Dean was able to react from the scene in front of him, he quickly picked Sam up from the floor, noticing with a frown how much lighter Sam seemed to be. Dean placed the boy on the counter with care, checking for any injuries he might have had from the glass. After he was satisfied with the fact that Sam didn't seem to have a sctract on him, Dean finally looked at Sam's eyes, expecting to receive some sort of comment filled with annoyance at how he had literally picked his brother up like a baby and was now hovering over him, checking for any sort of damage the glass had made.

But Dean received none of that from Sam. No, all Sam gave him in return for his motherly actions was a blank stare. This made Dean even more worried than he had previously been.

"What were you doing Sam? What happened?" Dean asked, making sure that no anger or hurtful emotion made its way into his voice.

"I…I think I dropped the glass…" Sam answered, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You think?" Dean's voice no longer concealed his surprise and worry at his younger brother's words.

"Yeah. I mean, I remember my head hurt so I got up to get some water, and then…"

"Then what, Sammy? What happened?"

"The headache got worse. I guess I must have blacked out or something, because the next thing I remember is you calling my name." At the end of this statement, Sam grabbed his head, making a pain-filled expression.

"Sam? Is the headache back?" Dean asked following with concerned eyes his brother's movements. Sam could only nod slightly, showing Dean the intensity of the pain.

Dean instantly jumped into action, going to his duffle and grabbing two Panadols. He also jumped and avoided the glass on the kitchen floor, cursing softly to himself as a shard of glass poked his calloused feet, but ignoring the slight jolt of pain in favor of grabbing a new glass and filling it with water.

Throughout this whole process, Dean had kept a careful eye on Sam, quickening his step as he saw his brother sway from side to side, his long, thin finger still clutching at his head, his face becoming more pale as each second passed.

As soon as he got back to his brother's side, Dean pressed the white pill on his brother's lips, since Sam seemed too busy handling his headache to acknowledge the pills on Dean's hand.

"Come on, Sammy, open your mouth." Sam complied with the order, allowing the pills to enter his mouth and taking a few gulps of water, washing the pills down.

"Let's get you to bed, okay?" Once again, Dean picked his brother up from the counter, tugging the brown mop of head at the crock of his neck.

"D'n" Sam whimpered, clearly in discontentment with the movement.

"Shh. I got you. We have to wait for the meds to take effect, Sammy, and then it'll start to feel better. I promise." Dean soothed as he tucked Sam in bed, making sure that the comforter covered his small body completely.

Sam's eyes looked hazy, as if he was barely able to take notice of his surroundings. His face was pale, and Dean could clearly make out the restraining muscles on his brother's neck, showing Dean the pain-filled struggle Sam was going through. Dean ran one of his calloused hands over his brother's forehead, clearing the always too long bangs out of the way before checking the boy's temperature.

If this was a virus or bacteria, it had to be a really nasty one for leaving Sam this weak. Dean knew he was no expert, especially on the field of science, that was mostly Sam's area of expertise at school after all, but no microorganism that Dean was aware of could have the ability to cause these symptoms, especially, Sam's seeming memory loss back at the kitchen.

God, how he wished he had paid more attention at his Microbiology class on high school.

But then again, viruses and bacteria were mostly treatable right? He knew there were some nasty ones that were permanent and were pretty dangerous. Being the skirt chaser Dean was, John had sat his oldest son down as soon as he hit an appropriate age and explained the whole 'Herpes is forever' and 'Always wear protection' thing. But hospitals carried treatments for even the most stubborn microscopic sons of bitches out there, right? So if Sam really did have an infection of some sort, he could just take him to a doctor and they would at least let him live a long life, no matter what he had. Damn, Dean wouldn't have even minded if he'd have to drive Sam every day to a hospitals, a place he had been conditioned since young to hate, if it meant that his Sammy would be okay.

But something in Dean's gut told him that this wasn't just some virus, and as he watched the pills finally take effect and Sam close his eyes, finally succumbing to sleep, Dean couldn't help but run a hand through his short blonde hair. Maybe this time he would have to go against his father's words and pull a Sam by going against his father's judgement on Sam's health.

* * *

After Sam had fallen asleep, Dean made sure to clean the mess in the kitchenette, making sure that the tile floor was sparkly clean so his brother wouldn't get any glass shards next time he decided to take a trip to there barefooted.

When he was all done with the primary task at hand of cleaning, Dean picked up the phone hesitantly, knowing fully well that his father was probably in the middle of a hunt right now, making him extra grumpy and susceptible to anger, especially if Dean planned to talk back to him if he decided their dad wasn't taking Sam's condition seriously enough.

The older Winchester dialed the number from memory and placed it on his ear as he took a deep breath. After no more than three rings, Dean heard his father's deep, gravelly voice.

"This better be an emergency, Dean." John said, making Dean gulp at his father's tone.

"It is, sir." Dean answered, trying to keep his voice calm. He heard John scoff at the other line.

"Sure doesn't sound like one" Dean thought he heard John mutter. A sting of pain at his father's breath shot through him, but Dean, in true Winchester fashion, quickly ignored it in favor of the task at hand.

"What is it Dean?" John finally asked, exasperation clear in his voice.

"It's Sam, sir."

"Sam? Is he hurt? What happened?" Finally, Dean heard a touch of concern in his father's voice, prompting the boy to continue talking, hoping he could use his father's emotional response in his favor.

"No sir, at least not that I can physically see. I woke up a few hours ago and found him lying on the kitchen floor with a huge headache. When I asked him what he was doing on the floor, he told me he couldn't remember. He's also been kinda out of it lately. He's tired all the time, like he's doesn't have enough energy for any of the stuff he loves doing. He's been real clumsy with things he's never had trouble with before. He's eating less and less every day, and…I don't know dad, I'm getting really worried. There's something wrong with him." Dean confessed, realizing, with a blush, how he'd began rambling to his father all about what has been on his mind lately.

The older boy heard his father's breath through the line as he processed the information. Finally he heard a low, resigned growl from the other end.

"Fine. Check him in the morning to the nearest hospital if he's still feeling unwell. If something else comes up, call me."

At his father's words, Dean felt a surge of happiness and gratefulness at the fact that his father had listened to his worries.

"I will. Thank you so-"

"Just take care of your brother Dean." John huffed before he cut the call.

Even with John's abruptness, Dean couldn't help but feel like he just won a very important battle by standing up for Sam, despite if it meant going against John's judgement. He knows that Sam, if he was conscious and not in pain, would be smiling a proud smile at him for having done the exact thing he has been pestering Dean to do for years.

Now let's see if he wins the war.

* * *

 **Hi guys! I know I had initially said that this story would be a two part story, but I guess I got kinda tired after writing for a while.**

 **Anyways, I am having a small voting poll going on. I was wondering what you all thought about John being portrayed as mean and uncaring for his children. So, for the next part of this now three chapter story, I wanted to know what every single one of you who is reading this story wanted John portrayed.**

 **The other part that I have been debating on was the gravity of Sam's condition. Should it be something really life-threatening, supernaturally caused, etc? I am also putting that subject up for a vote.**

 **Well, since I am a busy University student, this vote will not go past Saturday morning/ noon so I can finish writing this story for you guys before my spring break is over.**

 **Have a great day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**PART III**

After the phone call with his father, Dean began packing their duffels with the intention of waking up Sam right before setting out to the nearest hospital so his little brother could get some rest.  
When he was done, Dean sat at the edge of the bed as he gently shook his little brother awake.

At first, the gesture began softly. Since Dean knew Sam had gone to bed with a pretty bad headache, the last thing he wished to do was to worsen it. But as time went by and Sam failed to wake up or show any type of response, no twitch, no noise, no nothing, Dean's gentleness was replaced with a sort of panicked desperation.

"Sammy. Come on man, you have to wake up for me." Dean tossed the comforter out of the way, shaking his brother's shoulders vigorously.

"This isn't funny dude. If you don't open your eyes right now, I'm going to throw out all that book collection of yours." Dean tried another tactic, but as Sam showed no sign of consciousness, the older Winchester's mind went into full panic mode.  
Sam wasn't waking up. His little brother wasn't just sleeping. No, he was unconscious.

At once, Dean's body began moving with a precision he didn't really know he possessed. As his thinking mind began to shut down, it seemed his body knew exactly how to react in a stressful, life-threatening situation. He could only guess such reaction only came with years of conditioning after facing the possibility of death numerous times.  
In the end though, Dean didn't give a damn where all of this came from, he only cared that whatever training he had received got the job done.  
And getting the job done it did. Dean was able to get Sam to the hospital on record time.

Unfortunately, as soon as the Impala had arrived at the entrance of the ER, Dean's brain suddenly decided to make a reappearance, alongside with all that overwhelming panic he had previously felt.  
That's how the young hunter ended up in the middle of the ER lobby, clutching his unconscious brother on his chest, screaming at the nurses to help Sam.  
And that's how John Winchester got a call from his eldest son a few minutes later. Suddenly being explained to by a panicked filled voice that his youngest child was being taken for surgery.

He heard Dean mention something about the doctors having to relieve some of the pressure in the brain before the inflammation caused any more damage.  
That was also the moment in which Dean asked, no, BEGGED John to come back for them, for Sammy, and though Dean didn't specifically say it out loud, for him. And John would be damned if he didn't drop what he was doing at the moment and do just that.

* * *

Dean had never had a more horrible night in all his years. Not even the ones in which he had had to face monsters that would make a grown man's skin crawl could compare to seeing his Sammy lying still on a hospital bed, the machines connected to his already small body, making him look even younger.  
There were few events in which could recall he cried, fewer even in which he sobbed. Dean was a tough guy. He had been raised to be so. The one thing that he hadn't been raised to handle though, was hearing that his brother was close to death's door by an unseen enemy.  
A very tiny one, for that matter.

The doctor had explained to Dean what had made his little brother so sick. He couldn't remember all the details, as his medical knowledge didn't surpass that of a high schooler who didn't pay attention in science class. But he knew enough about the dangers of infections and how their dad had taught them to always clean and apply antiseptic creams after getting wounded in a hunt.

But now, antiseptic creams wouldn't cut it for Sam. No, his little brother had somehow gotten an infection in his brain, which had led to an immense amount of pressure in Sam's skull due to the inflammation the body caused as it tried to get rid of the little bugger.

Dean hated, despised, the fact that he couldn't do anything to help his unconscious brother. He wished that the thing that was hurting Sam so badly could take the form of a monster, something familiar which Dean wouldn't have much trouble defeating. But no, the reality of their situation was that Sam was sick, had just gotten out of surgery after a close death encounter, and Dean couldn't do anything to fix what was wrong with him. And the thought of failing his brother sent the older Winchester on another round of tears as he tightened his grip on Sam's limp hand, holding on to whatever he could of his brother's life, wishing that by will alone, Sam would open his pretty little green hazel eyes and be the pain in the ass little brother Dean loved more than life itself. A knock on the door startled Dean out of his misery, and he quickly wiped his face with his sleeve, never letting go of Sam's small hand in the process.

"Yeah?" He called out, hoping that his face didn't betray the fact he had been just sobbing his heart out.

"Dean?" A gruff voice responded as the door opened to reveal a very disheveled and tired looking John Winchester.

"Dad" Dean's voice almost broke in relief. His dad was here, he had listened to him, he was here for Sammy, and Dean didn't have to go through this all alone.  
Hearing his oldest son's small voice, and seeing his youngest' body lying on a hospital bed looking as if life had escaped from him, made John take two steps and wrap Dean on a hug, an action he had to admit was rare between the Winchester boys and their father. He also noticed how, throughout the whole ordeal, Dean's hand remained latched onto Sam's.

"Sam..." Dean's resolution of maintaining a straight face broke as his father held him in his arms "...Sam's sick, Dad. He's really sick."

"I know Dean, I spoke with the doctor before coming in." John tried to sooth his son by keeping a calm voice, but he knew that Dean could see beyond his charade and pinpoint the worry John felt for his youngest's state of health.

"Why is he not waking up, Dad? He should be awake. They said the surgery went well." Dean asked.

"We just have to give him time, son. His body needs time to heal. And then he will wake up and we will all go back to normal." Dean nodded at his father's statement, breaking out of the embrace in favor of being able to look at his brother's sleeping figure. John couldn't have known at the time, but normal was the furthest thing Sam would wake up to.

* * *

As days went by, Sam began to move and twitch in his sleep, never fully waking up, but showing that he was close to regaining awareness.  
One day, while John was out hustling a little money to maintain their stay, Sam's began to move his body as his eyes fluttered open. The first thing the young teen saw was a face with shining green eyes and an equally resplendent grin directed towards him.

"Heya there, Sammy." Dean beamed at his brother, relief washing over his 6'1 figure.

Sam could only stare at the older boy and blink, his mind a whirlwind of confusion. After a few seconds of staring at the blonde, Sam finally answered.

"Who are you?"

* * *

 **Hey there guys. I wanted to thank you all for your patience. What had seemed to start out as a one-shot is actually turning into a chapter story, so I'm guessing I'll start making more updates as soon as I can.**

 **Also, as you probably noticed in this chapter, John became a much bigger part in the story, taking the role of a caring father instead of a aloof and mean one. This change is due to the results from the voting. I seriously loved everyone's input and opinion, and was amazed at the reasoning behind each and every answer.**

 **Since I'm turning the story into a chapter story, I am putting up another vote. Should Sam eventually remember his past life or should he rebuilt from point zero? Furthermore, how should the family break the news of the existence of the supernatural, if they do it at all?**

 **This poll will be over on Tuesday night, that way I can start writing the next chapter.**

 **See you guys later!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! How is everyone?**

 **Sorry for the delay, but college got to me. Did I mention that I'm a- now third year- nursing student? That means that the microbiology stuff that I'm mentioning in this chapter are possible, though they are quite rare.**

 **Anyways, Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Part IV**

Retrospective amnesia. That's what the doctor said Sam had.  
"An uncommon side effect" The young brunette doctor had mentioned to John, Dean listening on the sidelines.  
"We're running tests right now in our Microbiology lab. See what type of microorganism caused it. My best guess at the moment is some sort of Herpes virus."

"Herpes?" Dean had asked with a strained voice. Herpes for him meant unsafe sex. Unsafe sex and his little brother were never two thoughts he had put together in his mind.  
The young doctor's lip gave a small twitch upward at Dean's reaction.  
"Of the herpes family, yes. But not the herpes you are thinking of at this moment. The virus that causes Chicken Pox is considered to be a herpes virus as well."  
Dean didn't know if he should be embarrassed for the obvious sexual correlation his teenage mind had made or be relieved that, at least to his better knowledge, Sammy wasn't sexually active. Now that's a thought he never wanted to have.

"But Sam already had Chicken pox when he was young." John tried to add helpfully, but the Doctor shook his head at his words.  
"The virus never leaves the body, it is usually merely dormant. I'm thinking that it somehow got into the blood stream and entered the brain blood barrier, causing the brain to become inflamed as a response to the presence of the virus. With so much pressure in there, my best guess is that an area of the brain pertaining to memory got smashed, hence the memory loss."  
"Shit." Dean murmured under his breath.  
"So when will his memory come back doctor? We can't stay in the hospital for too long. I have a job I have to do." John explained and to Dean's ears, his father's words sounded cold and distant. As always, the hunt took priority in John's life.

Apparently, Dean wasn't the only one that thought John's words lacked fatherly love, since the Doctor made a quick visible frown before fixing his face back to his usual professional and friendly characteristics.  
"I'm afraid I wouldn't know the answer to that question. As I mentioned before, Sam's memory loss was caused by the pressure of the inflammation. He regaining his memory depends on whether there was some sort of permanent damage."  
John grumbled under his breath. Dean could feel the sting in his eyes at the prospect of Sam not remembering him. Of not remembering the safety and comfort that he knew his little brother always sought in him when in need.  
"I would recommend for Sam to stay in the hospital for a few days, to let his body rest and recover fully. I would also like to run some tests tomorrow to find out if there really was some damage caused. I assure you that Sam would be in fully capable hands if you would ever need to leave for a few days." Dean could see the doctor standing up to his full stature at the last sentence. While not a giant, the man stood at about the same height as John. It took Dean a second to realize that the Doctor was challenging John, in the most formal way possible, but he was clearly going against his father's wishes of getting Sam out of the hospital as soon as possible. Dean wanted to hug the man.  
John seemed to sense the hidden meaning of the Doctor's words, and he narrowed his eyes in response.  
"I'll stay with Sam. I'll take care of him."  
Dean offered quickly. John switched his gaze between Dean's and the Doctor's. His gaze feeling with disapproval, and a little bit of anger, at the fact that Dean was backing the doctor's opinion.

In the end though, John sighed, defeated.  
"Fine. We'll both stay here." His father groaned out, and Dean felt a swell of joy. Sam would have the best care available. And he would have both his father and brother by his side, helping him like a family should.  
The doctor beamed at John's response.  
"Wonderful. I'll arrange for the nurse to place two cots in the room, if you prefer to stay in the hospital with your son."  
"That'd be great. Thanks doc." Dean jumped in quickly before his father could deny him the chance of staying by his brother's side at night while he recovered. John just nodded, eyeing Dean, clearly displeased.

Sam was easy to handle, even if his memory was gone. He immediately accepted Dean's and John's relation to him, and was constantly looking at Dean with eyes full of childish wonder, swallowing everything his brother told him. Sam's hero worship seemed to be back as well, making Dean cling to Sam even more. He would never outwardly admit it, but ever since Sam had hit puberty and stopped following Dean like a lost puppy, Dean had felt an empty hole in his life. And now that Sam's attention was solely focused on his big brother, Dean felt happier than he had in years.  
The staff at the hospital had also come to love Sam and Dean, constantly doting on both the Winchester children. Sam's main nurse was named Eugenia, a young, slim brunette who had just graduated from college and was working her first job as an RN.  
"How are you today, sweetheart?" She would say every morning as she handed Sam a 'Sweetheart' candy with a wink and a mischievous smile.  
The young doctor, Robert, -he had insisted on first name basis- was also a constant figure in the Winchesters' lives. He was a pleasant man, with a caring smile and confident stance.  
One day, as both the nurse and the doctor were in the room, performing a routine check on Sam, Dean watched as Sam's eyes were focused on the pair as they talked and worked simultaneously with ease.  
"Are you two siblings or something?" His little brother asked suddenly, making Dean's eyes widen as he switched his focus to the medical staff. Both Eugenia and Robert were completely frozen in place, looking back at Sam with a surprised expression.  
Looking at them closer, Dean had to admit they looked similar to one another. They both had the same shade of brown hair and eyes. Some of their other facial features held certain similarities as well. He wouldn't have thought that they were siblings though, at least not until Sam mentioned it.  
A sudden laugh from Eugenia interrupted Dean's inspection.  
"Is it that obvious, sweetie?" She asks Sam with a smile on her face. Sam ducked his eyes under his hair, trying to hide a small blush which was slowly tinting his cheeks. Dean wasn't sure if the sudden shyness was due to genuine embarrassment at the nickname, or if his brother had developed a small crush on his nurse. Either option made Dean grin at his little brother.  
"We are siblings, this little brat here is my baby sister." Robert informed the little family, earning himself a soft elbowing from Eugenia.  
"Hey, we're at work. Keep it professional." Eugenia reciprocated.  
"Sorry, sorry." The doctor shrugged.  
"Wow, I'd never would have guessed. I mean you both look a bit alike now that I'm aware of it, but I'd never would have known." Dean mentioned.  
"We normally don't tell too many people. It's already weird that we work in the same hospital. It's even more uncommon that we work in the same unit." Robert offers with a smile.  
"And it's not like we look too much alike. Though, when we were little, people used to call us clones" Maria laughed with ease "That changed after a few years though. No one can usually tell anymore. Well, except for Sam here."

"I just thought you two were talking too naturally with each other. Kind of like siblings would do, I guess." Sam blush turns redder, his eyes flickering to look at Dean and then back down at his hands.

"Well, I think that if you choose to, you'd be a great detective in the future." Eugenia answers sweetly in a motherly tone that doesn't escape Dean. His poor little brother never stood a chance, he remarks in silence with a quiet laugh.  
"I don't think I'd like to be a detective" Sam says, suddenly thoughtful.  
"You don't have to be anything you don't want to be Sam." Eugenia tells Sam, taking his hand and looking him at the straight at him. At the corner of his eye, Dean could see his father, who had stayed silent and seated at a corner chair during the whole conversation, stiffen. Dean knew how any talk of not following the hunter lifestyle was considered taboo in John Winchester's book, so Dean could only hope that his father would stay quiet and try to forget the nature of the conversation.  
"You be whatever you want to be. Even if you can't remember your past right now, you are still you. Your personality, what makes you you, hasn't changed. Follow that, sweetheart, and you will be fine." At the end of her speech, Eugenia casually reached into her pocket and pulled out a small sweetheart candy, and with a smile, handed it to Sam.  
"You are such a girl" Robert murmured behind his sister, making Dean laugh at the familiarity of the comment.  
"I won't argue with that statement" Eugenia grinned, softly ruffling Sam's hair.

"Well, unlike a certain doctor on the room, I have a job to go do. If you will excuse me, I will be back as soon as I can to check on Sam. If you need anything at all, I'm just a ring away." And with a quick wave and smile, Sam's nurse left the room.

"I guess that's my cue to go make my rounds as well. If you need anything, just tell Eugenia and she will let me know." The young doctor announced, following his sister's example.

Watching the doctor leave, Dean felt more at peace than he had felt for a long time.  
Sammy was alright, even if he could not remember.  
There were people who cared for him and his little family, and even if it was merely the nature of their job, Dean felt grateful at the renewed childish joy he saw in his little brother thanks to their attentions. That childish joy and innocence that Dean desperately craved for Sam, but that his baby brother had irrevocably lost in the last few years due to the nature of their job.  
Dean simply couldn't ask for more.

John, apparently, could.

...

The small nurse's words stuck with John. His hunter mind working and twisting them with the idea they brought.  
The message was clear.  
'Do what you love, and then you will be happy.'  
John, in his own way, loved what he did. His profession. If he was being truthful with himself, he could admit his love for the hunt was mostly based on obsession, mainly for revenge, but also as a form to let out his pent up anger.  
An emotion he seemed to be filled with these days.  
Of course, John Winchester loved his children, as every Father should. But his love was clouded with fear for them and of them.  
He feared for their lives, but he feared their free will.

Dean was easy to handle. His oldest had a way of always making sure his decisions were in line with his father's.  
Sam, on the other hand, had a spirit that seemed to always go against John's.  
He would not follow without questioning the reason behind the order.  
He was not a perfect little soldier like his brother. Sam was a general. Wanting to form his own decisions and strategies.  
This was a feature John simply despised. He could not count the times he prayed to whatever Higher power there was that Sam would simply shut up and follow his orders. Turn into a second Dean and leave those silly thoughts of wanting to leave the life of a hunter.  
At first, John had felt guilty for having such feelings. He knew that as a father he should love his children as they are, in others words, his love should be irrevocable. But the marine and hunter side screamed in warning at the danger, the disorder, of having a child with such a personality in a world like theirs.  
But, now, the nurse's words of wisdom had struck a chord in John. Sam was a general, and having such powerful piece could be incredibly useful if it was on his side of the board.  
Until recently, John believed that having such an alignment between his son's and his wishes was impossible and simply a waste of brain power to ponder upon. But now, with Sam's newly found amnesia, John could change the side Sam played on. His rebellious child was now a clean slate, ready to be filled once again.  
And John would be a fool if he didn't take advantage of such an opportunity.

* * *

 **I wanna make something clear about this story.**

 **I know that when I asked if John should be the bad guy, I got a bunch of messages asking for him to be good. Well, I want to clear up that in this story, John Winchester IS good. In his own way, he is trying to protect his children. For him, their physical safety takes priority over their emotional or psychological ones. In this story, John is also a victim of previous trauma. In other words, in my story, John Winchester's mind is broken from being in the war, losing his wife, and battling the supernatural. In his mind, the poor guy is in a constant state of war. A sort of PTSD, I suppose. Therefore, John is, and will, try to do the best for his two children, but only throughout his own war-time terms.**

 **Also, I wanted to mention that this story will not end happily. For some reason, I tend to hurt or maim Sam in every story I write, leaving a heartbroken Dean. I'm trying to convince myself that it's a coping mechanism from all the stress that comes of being in the hospitals and constantly dealing with sickness. Guess it helps to write about it.**

 **Anyways, that's my theory.**

 **See you next time!**


End file.
